McGregor Mountain Blog

Final Fire Update

July 6, 2012

Great news all around! The High Park Fire has been 100% contained for days now and is no longer a large threat to anyone in the Ft Collins area, and certainly no threat to us here in Estes Park. The air quality is absolutely perfect, and we are now into our typical summer monsoon pattern – getting a good thunderstorm every afternoon with plenty of rain… I think our soil has now been damp 24 hrs a day for three or four days.

And there are NO fires in Estes Park. We are still getting calls and cancellations due to fire reasons, mainly due to sensationalized media reporting causing irrational fear in folks not in Colorado.

There is a danger of fires EVERY year in Colorado, and the west. Every year there is a destructive fire somewhere in the state, and this year is no different. It just happened to be drier and warmer causing fires to grow larger and faster than normal. But the only fire to truly effect us here in Estes was the Woodland Heights fire, a house fire that spread into some open space. It was under control within hours and contained the following day. Yes, it was devastating to those who lost homes, but Estes Park was not ‘burning’ like some media outlets were reporting.

We are still getting cancellations due to fire reasons, but I cannot say it any more plainly and honestly: There is no reason not to come to Colorado and/or Estes Park. I wish you could see the view from my window right now! (actually you can: WebCam) It’s about 65 degrees and perfectly clear as I write this. We just had a Mule Deer family stroll through and I can see guests heading out for a day of hiking and touring.

And a note on the Waldo Canyon Fire in Colorado Springs (3 hours south of us): As of last night it was 95% contained and they are expecting 100% containment today.

We all truly hope that if you’re planning on coming or thinking about taking your vacation in Colorado and/or Estes Park that you don’t hesitate because of a fear of fires. There is no reason to stay away from these beautiful mountains. And if you think you’re too late to book for July and early August, in most years you’d be correct, but we have had cancellations so give us a call and see what we have left… We hope to see you soon!